Beyond That The Sea by Laura Spence-Ash

 

My Rating: 4.8

In 1940 London, Millie and Reginald Thompson make the extremely difficult decision to send their eleven year old daughter to live with a well off family in America. Scared and angry, feeling lonely and displaced, Bea arrives in Boston to meet the Gregorys. Mr. and Mrs. G, and their sons William and Gerald, fold Bea seamlessly into their world and Beatrix will be racked with guilt when she thinks about how they feel as much her family as her mom and dad back in London. In fact, as the years go by, her London life becomes a fuzzy memory. Still, she knows she'll have to go back to London, there is no way she can stay in the US and break the mother's heart.

This was very well told and made me feel for all involved but most especially Bea. Both families were torn at what they gained/lost at various times but the transition was the hardest on Bea. I loved that the story didn't end there but continued on for years afterwards.

The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

 

My Rating: 4.7

Zofia and Jenna grow up as best friends - barely a day goes by when they don't see each other. Then the Nazi occupation of Warsaw happens. While bombs rain down on the city, Zofia finds that the library books are in need of saving. Zofia and Jenna start recovering the books and hiding the books banned by Hitler. 

I love when historical fiction books teach me something. I didn't know anything about the underground library in Warsaw. This showed not only the power of books but, the power of friendship. Zofia, Jenna and so many other characters came to life for me. I really enjoyed the writing and will read more by this author.

Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah

 

My Rating: 4.9

Joanna returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her. She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises. 

The girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. With concerns about the child’s home situation, Jo reluctantly agrees to let her stay—just until she learns more about Ursa’s past. Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the mystery of the charming child. But the more time they spend together, the more questions they have. How does a young girl not only read but understand Shakespeare? Why do good things keep happening in her presence? And why aren’t Jo and Gabe checking the missing children’s website anymore?

I absolutely LOVED everything about this book - the writing, the characters and the story line. The perfect trifecta! I love that there was still a bit of an unanswered question at the end. If all of her writing is this gorgeous then I have no idea how I haven't heard of this author sooner. I will definitely be reading more by her.

The Postcard by Anne Berest

 

My Rathing: 2.0

2003. Together with the usual holiday cards, an anonymous postcard is delivered to the Berest family home. On the front, a photo of the Opéra Garnier in Paris. On the back, the names of Anne Berest’s maternal great-grandparents, Ephraïm and Emma, and their children, Noémie and Jacques—all killed at Auschwitz. Fifteen years after the postcard is delivered, Anne, is decides to discover who sent it and why. Aided by her chain-smoking mother, family members, friends, associates, a private detective, a graphologist, and many others, she embarks on a journey to discover the fate of the Rabinovitch family: their flight from Russia following the revolution, their journey to Latvia, Palestine, and Paris. What emerges is a moving saga that shatters long-held certainties about Anne’s family, her country, and herself.

The story of Auschwitz is horrific and needs to never be forgotten. That being said, this book is not the one to read and I am shocked it won an award. Yes, I know I am in the minority but this was a struggle to finish and I should have left it in my DNF pile. The first half of the book was interesting but the last half was very long and boring. I didn't care about any of the characters and the idea of the postcard felt contrived and drawn out till it couldn't be stretched anymore. There was a family saga worth telling in here but for me, it was lost amongst the bad writing and flimsy storyline.

Fearless by Eric Blehm

My Rating: 4.9

Fearless takes you deep into SEAL Team Six, straight to the heart of one of it's most legendary operators. When Navy SEAL Adam Brown woke up on March 17, 2010, he didn't know he would die that night in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan--but he was ready. In a letter to his children, not meant to be seen unless the worst happened, "I'm not afraid of anything that might happen to me on this Earth, because I know no matter what, nothing can take my spirit from me.

FEARLESS is the story of a man of extremes, whose determination was fueled by faith, family, and the love of a woman. It's about a man who waged a war against his own worst impulses and persevered to reach the top tier of the U.S. military. Always the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments, Adam's final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice. FEARLESS is the intimate story of a devoted man who was an unlikely hero but a true warrior, described by all who knew him as just that--fearless.

This is less a story about the Navy Deal than it is about the man Adam Brown. It starts with him as a boy growing up in Arkansas and unfolds his life. Even though I knew from the beginning that Adam died, I cried. My heart ached for him and his family. He was such an amazing man and, even though this will sound strange, I will miss him. Definite recommend.